Blog Category: realtor

January 5th, 2017

January 5th, 2017

9 Mortgage Myths To Stop Believing

Buying and financing a new home can be a daunting task and many of us turn to friends and family for advice. Watch out for mortgage myths. The only experts in the mortgage field….are the experts in the mortgage field! Friends and family might not be the experts they think they are. The mortgage guidelines and interest rates are changing so frequently that unless someone is in the mortgage field as a full-time job, you should only take advice from a mortgage professional. Read More

Categories: mortgage, 401(k) loan, appraisal, average interest rates, choosing a lender, credit score, down payment, Home Value, interest rates, Interest rates low, myths, PMI, realtor

September 17th, 2013

September 17th, 2013

Appraisal Challenges

In my experience, there seems to be a lot of confusion about appraisals. I hear a lot of misstatement about how appraisal values are determined. If an appraisal comes in below the agreed upon sales price there is usually a lot of push back, anger, and harshly worded statements about the intelligence of the appraiser. Many sellers, some buyers, and even some realtors use methodology and data that is not accurate. The reality is that there is a way to challenge an appraisal that is quite simple. Read More

Categories: Appraisal, appraisal, appraisal challenges, appraisal problems, comps, realtor

June 19th, 2016

Choose Your Lender Based on the Three D’s: Doughnuts, Drinks, and Dinner!

According to Realtor Magazine, 72% of the time, buyers use the lender that the agent refers. How do lenders meet realtors to get those referrals? Lenders can meet realtors through many methods. A common one is to ply them with what I like to call the three D’s. Bringing doughnuts to the weekly realtor meeting. Picking up the tab for drinks. And buying a realtor dinner. The endgame is to make a realtor like you and hope that they become a referral source. Is there a better way? Read More

Categories: Realtors, lender, mortgage, realtor

October 11th, 2013

CRM Databasing for Realtors

RIS Media produces a monthly magazine publication called Real Estate Magazine. I read an article on their website a while back I would like to discuss entitled, “CRM: Cheaper to Keep Em.” Bob Corcoran is a real estate coach and speaker who was interviewed by RIS Media for this article about CRMs, which stands for customer relationship management. CRMs are a type of database software that salespeople use. This blog is geared towards realtors, but it is also important for homebuyers and sellers to see how realtors and mortgage loan officers, or anyone for that matter, organize and use their data.
Read More

Categories: Realtors, CRM, realtor, realtors

July 13th, 2017

July 13th, 2017

Does It Really Matter Where Your Loan Officer Is Located?

It is very common for realtors to ask a homebuyer who their mortgage loan officer is and where they are located. There is a belief that a lender, and for that matter all the service providers to a real estate transaction, needs to be very local.

Realtors assign some magical powers to a mortgage loan officer who is Read More

Categories: Home Buying Process, Loan Process, mortgage, Realtors, Sales, loan shopping, mortgage broker, mortgage lender, realtor, realtors

January 5th, 2010

Finding A Realtor To List Your Home For Sale

When you decide to sell your home you usually think you have a fairly good idea of what its worth, after all, you live in the neighborhood! Most of us schedule appointments with three local listing agents who we know, or we have been referred to, or maybe we have been getting their marketing material in the mail. Usually each Realtor will recommend a different sales price. Sometimes those prices are close together, but usually there are one or more Realtors who give you a much higher number, that excites you, and seems to agree with what you thought your place was worth.

Categories: housing values, house prices, realtor

June 8th, 2010

How Do Realtors Really Get Paid?

Does anyone know how Realtors really get paid? I know people love to complain about Realtors and how they “get 6%” of the sales price, but that is not the whole story. It’s barely any of the story. I love to beat up on any industry with grossly overpaid and inefficient workers as much as the next person, but only if it is merited. Read More

Categories: housing values, realtor, realtor commission

November 27th, 2012

How To Choose A Buyer Agent

How do you source a realtor to help you as a buyer agent when you are ready to buy your next home? Face it, most of us go off of a very few opinions from some friends and family, and hope for the best. It is like buying something off of Amazon.com that has 4.5 out of 5 stars. But it only has 3 reviews. Why not buy something off of Amazon.com that has 4.5 out of 5 stars and has 53 reviews, or 198 reviews? Read More

Categories: Realtors, buyer agent, choosing a realtor, realtor

November 22nd, 2016

Is It Better to Overprice or Underprice Your Home For Sale?

When sellers set an asking price for their home I always imagine big dollar signs in their eyes. Most human beings suffer from wishful thinking and confirmation bias. How should you price your home: high, low or right at market value? In other words, should you overprice or underprice, or price it right at market value? If sellers are underpricing they may hope to sell faster, or hope for a bidding war. Overpricing a home may allow you to get more for your house than it’s really worth with luck and hope that one buyer loves your home. Underpricing or overpricing your home can be a gamble. And the best thing you can do is come to terms with how much your house is really worth. Read More

Categories: Appraisal, housing values, Sales, appraisal, choosing a realtor, home sales, home sellers, home staging, housing market, mortgage appraisals, real estate, realtor, selling price

November 4th, 2016

Mortgage Resources for Realtors

Where does one find mortgage resources for realtors? There are many Realtor tools and resources mentioned in the above video. You can view them by going to Tools > For Realtors on GetLoans.com. This video briefly shows all the mortgage resources I have available for real estate professionals. It shows what services I offer my Realtor partners. Read More

Categories: mortgage, mortgage resources, real estate, real estate agent, realtor, realtor reviews, realtors

June 12th, 2014

June 12th, 2014

The Pre-Qualification Letter Fake Out

I had a client I was working with recently who had a realtor I didn’t know. This realtor wanted me to write a pre-qualification letter for an offer they wanted to make on a house. They wanted me to write up a pre-qualification letter for a mortgage amount I did not think the buyer could qualify for. The realtor just wanted to get the property under contract and tie it up to see if we could work it out somehow after the fact. They just wanted to take a shot at getting the realtor commission. Think this is a rare event? Read More

Categories: Loan Process, Realtors, pre-qualification, realtor, realtors

June 20th, 2010

Watch Out For Appraisal Contingencies When Buying A Home

When buying a home the appraisal contingency addendum in a sales contract says the home buyer has a certain number of days (the date is negotiable) to get an appraisal that is equal to or greater than the sales price in the sales contract. Read More

Categories: Underwriting Rules, appraisal, realtor

September 22nd, 2016

September 22nd, 2016

Working With One Realtor or With a Team

Real Estate Teams vs. Real Estate Agent

The real estate business is one of the most highly competitive job markets. And all real estate agents are in fact small business owners. They have an ever-growing client list, new leads, open houses, scheduling, marketing, budgeting, mailers, and websites. It is a never-ending list of responsibilities that seems to demand more and more time. It’s a fast-paced competitive housing world out there. Without the best tools and resources it’s possible to lose your clients to a more established realtor or realty team machine. Read More

Categories: Home Buying Process, Realtors, buyer agent, buying a condo, buying a home, choosing a realtor, first time homebuyer, homebuyer, real estate, real estate agent, real estate listings, real estate team, realtor

October 25th, 2010

Your Home Is Your Castle, Treat It That Way

Your home is your castle, truer words have never been spoken. You may own a 1,000 square foot modest townhouse, but it is yours. It may not be fancy, but it provides shelter, memories, and a place for family. Then why do people treat a home as if we were buying a coat, chair, couch or some other simple purchase? Why do people look for ways to save money, instead of ways to ensure they are getting the best representation to purchase their castle? Read More

Categories: Realtors, realtor